Medallion rug

Tibet

c. 1900

Wool warp, wool weft, wool pile

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A rectangular rug with a repeating pattern of medallions and stylized animals in gold on a red background. The rug has a decorative border. Carpets are an important decorative art in the Tibetan tradition, serving aesthetic and practical purposes in the monastic and domestic settings. Weavers incorporate a variety of auspicious motifs, geometric patterns, as well as real and mythical animals. Occasionally they also opt to create plain carpets without specific motifs or patterns. These are admired for their subtle color tonalities—the result of using natural dyes including madder (red), indigo (blue), Tibetan rhubarb (yellow) and Tibetan walnut (browns and greys). Gallery Not on View Gift of Thomas Murray in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama